Cast-iron pavement



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. SHEPARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CAST-IRON PAVEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,757, dated March 3, 1857.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. SHEP- ARD, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use acertain new and useful Improvement in Cast-Iron Pavement for Streets;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescript-ion of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specication,wherein- Figure l, is a plan of my improvement as formed of hexagonalblocks and Fig. 2, is a vertical section of the same at the line ai, m,and Fig. 3, is a plan of the under side of one block.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

Stone wood and metal pavement blocks have heretofore been formed in awedge shape, and setting together in the arched form of the street ordriven into the sand or other foundation,-metallic blocks have also beenformed with projections or lugs setting into recesses in the adjoiningblocks, and bricks or tiles for pavements have also been formed so as tointerlock with each other; my invention therefore does not relate toforming cast iron pavements so as to interlock the one block with thoseadjoining, but consists in forming the upper part of the sides of theblock partially conical or tapering, and forming wedge shapedprojections so set that they do not come opposite to each other whenlaid but overhang the tapering or inclined parts of the adjoiningblocks, thereby any strain tending to force one block down into its bedof sand or other material does not act on the adjoining block to tiltthe same and work it loose but tends to press the same awayhorizontally, thereby the strain on one block is thrown on thoseadjoining for several feet around, and no one block can come up or godown without moving those surrounding for some distance.

In the drawing a, a, are the sides of my hexagonal blocks, and b, b, arethe tops of said blocks; these blocks are to be formed with suitablegrooves l, 1, in their upper surface to afford foot hold for the horses,and 2, 2, are the inclined or tapering upper sides of the blocks onwhich the wedge formed projections 3, 3, are cast. It will be seen thatthese projections are at unequal distances from the angles of theblocks, so

that the same will set onto the adjoining blocks without any two ofthewedge shaped projections coming opposite to each other.

The block is strengthened by the arching ribs t, 4, and by small ribs 5,5, on the under side of the top, which make a light block of a uniformstrength.

In cases where more convenient on account of accommodating rail roadtracks, or other structures blocks or bars may be used in a square orother suitable polygonal shape having the double wedge forms acting asbefore detailed.

The blocks are to be inverted before laying and pressed full of clay,cement or other suitable material, and when being laid are to be turnedover onto a smooth and substantial foundation prepared to receive them;and the blocks being set closely together upon an arching or even a flatsurface, are held permanently in place, and no one block can be moved inany direction without infiuencing those adjoining; I have herein shownthe top of my paving block closed or solid, but holes might be formedtherein if preferred.

I do not claim double inclines in themselves as wooden paving blockshave been formed as pairs of double wedges set in alternate oppositedirections; but I am not aware of any metallic paving block having everbefore been formed in a polygonal shape with the vertical or nearlyvertical sides to steady the blocks and with the inclines around theupper parts of said sides taking projections from the adjoining blocks,which projections are at unequal distances from the angles of the blocksto prevent any two coming opposite to each other when laid asspecified-therefore What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis Forming polygonal metallic paving blocks with the inclines 2, 2, atthe upper part of the straight sides, and with the projections 3, 3, totake the inclines of the adjoining blocks at unequal distances from theangles of said blocks, substantially, as and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this thirty firstday of December 1856.

CHAS. J. SHEPARD. Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, Y H. S. LINCOLN.

